Good shoes for a beginner?

Hope this is in the right section. Right now Im riding in some old running shoes and Im sure that these are not ideal. I use Wellgo MG-1 pedals, so I don't need anything that clips in or anything like that. What are some good, cheap shoes for a beginner to use?

they are expensive but now i see why, I got a pair of danny macaskill 5.10 shoes and they are the business!!! not sure what they do to these shoes but they F'n stick!!! and super comfy, wish my dvs's and DC's were this comfortable!

+1 to vans. when i was on flats i used adidas sambas (the standard indoor soccer shoe looking ones). they worked pretty well. i have a friend who rides in vans and he hasn't complained.

when i used to skateboard i would buy skate shoes for like 15 bucks from walmart. they were nice and comfy, wide and had good grip at least on skateboards. i would wear them out in a couple of months, but i did that to the expensive ones too.

just check rack room, payless or target/walmart and buy the knockoff skate shoes

Flats for cross country

What about a pair of shoes for flats for cross country riding? I've been using a clipless setup and will be switching back to flats. The shoe I have in mind is something with a flat bottom, grips like crazy, but is slightly stiffer than a BMX shoes so my foot is not worn out after 30 miles. I don't mind earning my turns, but that is where the shoe really needs to be a bit more ridged. I'd like a shoe that is also a bit more breathable than a skate shoe. I also skate and every skate shoe I've ever worn are hot and sticky after an hour, and when I ride its anywhere from 1 to 8 hours. Any ideas?

Cross country, but it can get fast and gnarly on the way down, hence the desire for flats. I've ridden clipless for years and will be switching back. I know vans, etc. Looking for a shoe that combines peddling efficiency with grip. Being clipped in causes bad riding habits as far as bunny hopping and letting the bike float beneath you, and the more I think about clips for mountain biking the more roadie vestigial I think they are. And with the right shoe/pedal combo I'm pretty sure I'll be able to spin as well as I can with clips.

And with the right shoe/pedal combo I'm pretty sure I'll be able to spin as well as I can with clips.

No way.

Clips will always be faster in terms of pedaling efficiency for climbing than regualar flats. Every XC racer rides with clips. You will never see one without them. Even a lot of downhill racers ride with clips for some reason.

It takes a little more skill to ride clipped but in the end it will bring you a lot of benefits that flats won't.

I will still say for XC riding clipless is the only way to go.

I rode on flats for over a year and when I made the switch to clipless I noticed my riding improved much much more. But then again I spend much more time training in uphill than downhill.

im just getting back into biking, but back in the day, i remember racing bmx in a set of vans i loved those things. probably going to get me another pair similar and see how they do while im on a budget

Just start off woth some regular shoes and flats then. You really don't need something special.

A nice pair of Vans will do the trick just fine! Or a pair of DVS's would be even better.

Fortunately I get a discount on 5.10 shoes, so now that I know that they are actually good for biking Ill probably pick up a pair of those. My climbing shoes are 5.10s and Im pretty happy with them, the stealth soles 5.10 uses are pretty sticky. Thanks for all the info.

I coughed up quite a fortune and got myself 5.10 freeriders a couple of weeks ago based on recommendations. The problem for me with regular sneakers was that with each bunnyhop I was ripping the soles apart on my Wellgo MG1 pedals.

I coughed up quite a fortune and got myself 5.10 freeriders a couple of weeks ago based on recommendations. The problem for me with regular sneakers was that with each bunnyhop I was ripping the soles apart on my Wellgo MG1 pedals.

I had the same problem. I have Wellgo MG-52's and tore the hell out of a pair of vans in only a couple hours worth of riding and practicing bunny hops. I have since got a pair of 5.10 Impacts and love them. They stick to the point where it is actually difficult to reposition your feet on the pedals.

FiveTens

Ok, I've been looking at the FiveTen Impact and I have to say I'm not all that impressed. Yep, people say they are super sticky, but others complain about the weight and the cardboard insole. Is this really how a shoe that will be slogged through the mud and pedaled for miles constructed? Looking at the rest of the FiveTen line I'm of the opinion that the cost of the shoe is the magic rubber and not so much on the design or materials. Perhaps FiveTen is supposing the folks using their shoes will be riding bike parks and freeriding and not actually pedaling much. I see they have SPD compatible shoes that have a lighter build. I'd like to see one of those shoe models without an SPD cutout. Perhaps the SPD shoes have the magic rubber and would be worth looking in to. I'd could leave the SPD cutout in place and use them with flats.

The Impacts are indeed heavy, but I honestly don't notice it when I'm on the bike pedaling. I have no complaints as far as the sole is concerned. I believe the Impacts are much more geared towards DH/FR than XC. You may want to look into the 5.10 Low Impacts...

Before I went SPD I used trail running shoes (Nike but most brands are OK) - aggressive tread, fairly stiff sole, not expensive, work well. Once going SPD I picked up some Shimanos on eBay - had to keep the cost down. They kind of fit, a little large, but were new cost $40 and do work OK. And yes, clipless climbs way better than flats and if downhill looks too crazy I can still unclip with the Shimano M785s and their slippery "platform" - micky mouse but then he's way richer than me.

I have Five Ten Impacts but I'm not that crazy about them as they don't fit my narrow foot particularly well and I find them a bit stickier than I want.

I tried on some Teva Links recently and the felt awesome. The only reason I didn't buy them was because at the time I was favoring my clipless set up. But right now I'm back on flats and am going to get the Tevas.

Also tried Shimano AM's and they didn't feel that great on my feet either which is odd as my clipless Shimano's (not the AM model) fit very well.

My recommendation would be pair of decent trail sneakers.
I use Adidas trail shoes, and find them very adequate for riding.
In addition, think about flat studded pedals, which will give you additional grip.

I second your motion. Trail shoes, which can be found on sale for $20 or $30, and flat studded pedals. The shoes don't have to be the greatest because you're not actually running in them, just using their aggressive sole. That's what I rode with for quite awhile and always felt secure while the bike was bumping and bouncing along.